Eggplant

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

This is enough sauce for two pounds of pasta; it's good with fusilli, orecchiette or linguine.

This recipe is from Andalusia in the south. The North African touches of honey and mint come by way of the Moors, who ruled the region for centuries.

Serve these eggplant slices on crusty Italian bread spread with a mild, earthy cheese such as a fresh goat cheese. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 8 3/4 hr (includes marinating)

This version of a tagine, the classic Moroccan stew, calls for dark meat because it stays moist when braised. If you prefer white meat, reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes.

This recipe is used to prepare Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Chick-Pea and Eggplant Purée and Mushrooms. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

This zippy pasta features the best of Italy accented with Mexican serrano chilies. A Zinfandel or Italian Barolo is the right wine.

This dish is said to have first been prepared in the imperial kitchens for Sultan Murad IV in the early 1600s.

"A couple of years ago I decided to become a vegetarian. As time went on, the only things I really missed were some of the heartier sandwiches I used to make," says Jill Browning of Clarendon Hills, Illinois. "But then I created this meatless pita bread sandwich that's as substantial as any hoagie—and much lower in fat."

Leaving a bit of skin on the eggplant adds to the pesto's texture and color. Pour a Pinot Noir or Provençal rosé with the meal.

Makedonitiki Melitzanosalata Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Diane Kochilas's book The Greek Vegetarian. Kochilas also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Kochilas and Greek cuisine, click here.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In this rendition of a classic antipasto, fresh herbs infuse the olive oil marinades, which double as dressings.

Arabs brought the eggplant to Sicily in the late tenth century and, in fact, the Italians once called eggplant radice arabica, or Arab root. It is an integral ingredient in Sicilian cuisine, and the variety of recipes featuring it — the most famous being caponata — is astounding. Sicilians often serve room-temperature vegetable preparations as appetizers. In this one, a caper-flavored tomato sauce "blankets" the eggplant.